The Girl in the Black Cadillac
by steepedinshadows419
Summary: AU - He was a blue collar worker in a small town not shown on most maps. She was the daughter of the richest man in Central City. When their paths cross, sparks fly, for better and for worse. Barry/Iris. Multi-chap.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Started this months ago and was going to post the full fic as a Christmas gift to y'all, but unfortunately I never wrote another chapter. So I'm just posting this first chap now and hoping I'll get to updating it sooner rather than later, even if it isn't before the end of the year.

Inspired by Grant & Candice's panel attire at SDCC 2019!

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

*****I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

**Chapter 1 -**

On a warm, Spring day in late May that felt almost like Summer, Barry found himself wishing he didn't have to work.

He loved his job. Growing up beside his uncle, who also happened to be an auto-mechanic, had given him a passion for the work. There was no question where he would go after graduating high school. He was good at it too. Sometimes customers even asked for him specifically to work on their cars. And of course, they always marveled about how young he looked. Even now, having just passed the big 3-0 some months earlier, he was sometimes mistaken for a recent college grad. Hardly something to complain about, but it was a fact all the same.

Despite the benefit of getting paid for something he loved to do, Barry did enjoy other things besides fixing cars. One of those things happened to be spending a beautiful day such as this one outside – not in a garage with sometimes poor lighting and not a clue when the sun had set until he looked at the clock and saw it was the end of his shift.

So he deliberately took the old, country road to get to work. He'd left early enough to still get there on time, but he'd be able to appreciate the scenery too. The next time Oliver asked him to take off on a day as beautiful as this one, he was definitely going to say no. He'd try to at least. But there was nothing to be done today. With the windows open in his large, blue jeep, and the music blasting country, Barry inhaled the scent of the wind, leaning his head closer to the open window to feel more of its impact. And when he did, he saw what was most unexpected – a woman in a red, black and white dress with high heels, lifting her phone to the sky and walking around, looking most exasperated as she walked back and forth beside her clearly flat tire.

He suppressed a roll his eyes and a smirk. This would make a great excuse, even if he hadn't the faintest idea what a woman like her was doing in the middle of nowhere on a day like today. Alone, no less.

He slowed down on the opposite side of the road, parked his jeep and hopped out, heading over to her.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

She stopped suddenly, her eyes going wide, but then her eyes dropped to the label on his shirt and her eyes narrowed angrily.

"Finally, you show up," she spat, clutching her phone tighter till he thought it might break.

"Um, excuse me?" He was slightly amused but tensed nonetheless.

"I've only been calling you for an hour," she growled, then lowered her eyes to the other patch on his open shirt. "_Barry_."

He blinked, then tried to piece the information she was giving him together in a way that made sense. He failed.

"I…don't think we've met before, Miss."

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms in an irritated stance. He couldn't tell if the enhancement of her cleavage had been deliberate or not, as the slit in the middle of the top portion of her dress widened slightly.

"Of course, _we_ haven't met," she said, as if it were obvious. "I called…" She glanced down at his shirt again. "Your company to ask for help with my car."

"You called…" He glanced down at the patch on his shirt, maybe a little mockingly imitating what she had been repeatedly doing. "Advantage Auto Parts?"

She glanced down again, then looking away quickly.

"Yes, _obviously_."

"We're kind of small," he said, folding his arms over his chest to mirror her. "I'm surprised you could find our number. Especially since your phone seems to be, uh…" A beeping noise interrupted them as her phone promptly went dead. "Out of service."

She bristled, irritated by both him and the phone, it appeared.

"Listen, _smartass_." She took two steps toward him. "Are you going to fix my tire or not?"

"Do you have a spare?"

She narrowed her eyebrows.

"No." She paused, thinking about it. "I don't know. Maybe."

He chuckled quietly, earning him a glare.

"Why don't you pop your trunk and we'll see what you've got in there?"

Still irritated but clearly wanting to get going more, she did as he said and they looked into her immaculate, mostly empty trunk, finding no spare tire in sight.

"My car won't start, either. Just died out of nowhere."

He glanced over at her, then shut the trunk.

"Are you out of gas?"

She scoffed. "Do you think I'd be dumb enough to-"

He raised his eyebrows.

"No. I filled up my car last week."

"And have you done a lot of driving since then?" he prodded. Her lips thinned.

"This is starting to sound like an interrogation."

"I'm trying to diagnose why your car won't start. That's my job. What you supposedly called 'my company' to come out and do."

She huffed.

He held out his hand, palm up.

"Give me your keys."

"What? Are you crazy? I'm not giving my keys to a-"

"Auto-mechanic that you called to help you?" he deadpanned.

"You, you can't just - I am _not_ paying you for this!"

He held his tongue for a moment, then let the insult fly out anyway.

"I'm sure your daddy would give his little princess any amount of money she needed."

Her jaw dropped.

He sobered up.

"Look, if you don't have a spare, and the problem is you're out of gas, I can call you a tow truck or you can come with me. I'm headed to work right now for my shift."

She gawked.

"I am not going anywhere with y- Hey, don't _you_ have a spare?"

He glanced over his shoulder at his jeep.

"Yeah," he said. "For a jeep." He turned back to look at her. "I don't think they'd fit your baby Cadillac."

She stomped her foot. "It is not a- You know what? Nevermind. You're an asshole. Call me a tow truck. I don't have to deal with you."

"Fine." He stalked off, heading back to his vehicle.

After grabbing his phone out of his truck and making the call, he looked over and saw another problem she'd likely overlooked.

"Might want to turn off your lights," he called out.

She glared but walked over and saw she had her brights on. Hastily, she shut them off before looking back to glare at him again. But he was already starting his truck and driving down the street.

"Hey! Where are you _going_?"

He thought about slowing down, but he'd had just about enough of her. Her disrespect, irrational behavior and refusal to believe him had ignited all his angry senses. The guys at Triple A would have to deal with her now.

He looked into his rearview mirror for one last look at the girl that had rattled him so much and found her sticking out her middle finger at him.

He focused back on the row ahead of him, shook his head and worked to put her out of his mind.

"Fuck, you, too," he muttered, and turned up the music again.


	2. Chapter 2

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

*****I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

**Chapter 2 -**

The altercation with the crazy woman on the side of the road had set off Barry's nerves more than he cared to admit. She was just another high maintenance rich girl who wasn't interested in basic car care and so had gotten herself into an easily avoidable problem. It hadn't been the first time one of her type had talked over him as if he wasn't really there, or as if he was beneath her because of his uniform and salary.

Yet somehow it ate at him. He couldn't pinpoint why, but it did.

He only wished there hadn't been another 20 minutes before he arrived at the shop for work. He could've put her and the whole situation out of his head if that hadn't been the case. But it was.

And with no radio station playing anything but love or break-up songs, he decided to drive in silence, windows down and warm air drifting through his jeep; the memory of that dark-skinned, petite female ever present before his eyes.

He thought about her without the hurling insults and accusations. He thought if she had been nice and had sweetly accepted his help. He thought about offering her a business car or asking if she wanted to use the shop he worked at to get her car fixed up if needed.

And thinking about the situation in a different light, if her character was different; her personality, her morals, her attitude…he'd be attracted to her. Her hair was effervescent, her eyes wild and beautiful, her figure held the curves of a goddess. Hell, under different circumstances – and if she was capable of being kind – he'd probably have found a way to get to know her better on a date.

He shook his head, eager to get the idea out of it. It was completely hypothetical, and really impossible, because this woman _wasn't_ kind and sweet. She wasn't a girl he could take home to his mother or even tolerate for more than five minutes. She was the exact opposite of everything he wanted in a woman, even if she was physically attractive.

Parking at the shop roughly 15 minutes later – he must've been speeding, _oops_ – he tried not to look or sound aggravated when he walked inside and swiped his card. But his co-worker saw right through him, as he tended to do. Said co-worker also had zero problem hooking up with women strictly based on physical appearance, so he knew he'd tried to get under this irritable woman's skirt if he saw her. They had relatively the same taste in women, after all. Relatively.

"What's got into you?" Oliver asked, clearly amused as spoke his tone of voice and raised voice.

Barry tried to shrug it off, then caved almost immediately.

"Tried to help someone on the road. They didn't want my help."

"Car trouble?" he asked.

Barry nodded.

"Well, you can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped."

"Oh, she wanted to be helped," Barry sneered. "Just not by me."

"It's a _she_, is it?" Oliver smirked, and Barry sent a glare his way. He laughed. "Relax, man, she's all yours."

Barry's brows narrowed.

"I don't want her. I can't _stand_ her. She's…"

"Entitled? Prissy? A bitch?"

Barry nodded, but only half-heartedly this time. For some reason he felt defensive about all those descriptors being used to describe her. Bitch just seemed a little…harsh.

"Well, those things wouldn't hold me back." He wiped his face with the rag draped over his shoulder. Barry shot hit another glare. "Just saying."

"They wouldn't hold you back because you aren't looking for a relationship, just a one-night stand."

For some reason the tone in Barry's voice stung.

"What's up with you? Did something happen? Other than this chick ruffling all your feathers, apparently."

Barry shook his head and tried to shake off his attitude. Oliver was right. He'd always known what type of man he was, and he never held that against him when it came to their friendship. Oliver knew Barry didn't approve, but since Barry didn't make it an issue, neither did he. So, what had caused him to lose his cool all of a sudden?

He didn't know, and he didn't have time to find out, because his name was suddenly heard coming from the front desk. It was Felicity, and her tone sounded off too. Rattled was maybe the better word.

He wiped his hands on the rag he'd snatched up a few minutes earlier and wiped his hands. Then he set the rag down on the car he'd been about to start repairing and headed for the front desk, which was a little more than a corner cubicle at the front of the shop.

He would've asked Felicity what was up, but the moment he saw the 'customer' standing on the other side of the partition, there was no need.

"This is Iris," Felicity introduced to him.

_Iris_.

The name was pretty. It suited her.

"West," Iris interjected. "Iris _West_."

And that was when Barry's eyes widened and jaw dropped briefly, and Iris was immensely satisfied.

"West, as in-"

"Joseph West," Iris said proudly. "Multimillionaire residing in Central City with _me_, his _daughter_."

**_With_**_ him?_

"You don't have your own place?"

Iris bristled. Felicity turned in her seat to give him an incredulous look.

"Sorry, I just –" Felicity raised her eyebrows. "Nevermind." He lifted his gaze back to Iris. "What are you doing here? Last I saw, you were flicking me off on the highway." Felicity raised her eyebrows again, this time in Iris' direction with curiosity. "I thought you'd never want to see me again, much less show up at my work."

"Yes, well, unfortunately for me, Triple A referred me here to get my car fixed. Apparently, you're the best." She rolled her eyes. "And the closest."

Barry's brows furrowed. "You mean, it's not just empty of gas or with a dead battery because you left your brights on in broad daylight?"

Felicity's eyes widened, but she was beyond amused. Both at what his assumption had been and how audacious Barry was being.

"It was towed here right before you arrived," Felicity answered for him. "Bobby checked both things. The car still wouldn't start."

Barry thought about that and contemplated for the first time what else could be the problem.

"Could be the alternator then."

"I thought about that," Felicity agreed, having made a point to keep up on car knowledge in case a customer needed something explained to them about their vehicle in words they could understand.

"I don't know if we have parts for that, though…"

"It would probably take a week for them to get there if I ordered them now…"

"Wait, a week?!" Iris asked, scandalized, and Barry and Felicity finally turned their attention back to her. "No, no, no, no, no. I cannot be here a week. I'm supposed to be –" She stopped herself. "Well, not _here_." She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she looked around her.

"You don't have to stay here," Barry said, eager to get rid of her. "Why don't you call your daddy to come get you, and Felicity will call you when it's ready to be picked up. One of the guys might even come drive it to you."

Felicity took note of how he didn't volunteer himself.

Iris scoffed. "No. I'm not having some dirty mechanic touching my car."

"Except to fix it," Barry said dryly.

Iris opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She was clearly angry though at his audacity.

Felicity stood up suddenly as a barrier between them. She turned to face Iris.

"Ms. West, you need to decide if you want us to work on your car or you want it towed to someplace else. If you want us to fix it, then we can look at it today-"

"Well…" Barry hedged, and Felicity remembered.

"We can take one of the cars out of the garage for her, I think, Barry." She glared.

Barry shrugged, struggling to appear unaffected.

Felicity turned back to Iris.

"We can look at it today. If it's not the alternator, and we have the parts for it, then it'll be ready by tomorrow. But if it is the alternator, and we do need parts in order to repair it –"

"Then I'll be stuck here for a week," Iris spat.

Felicity winced. "I'm afraid so."

Iris sighed, annoyed.

"Okay. Fine. Just fix it."

Felicity glanced at Barry who shook his head adamantly, but Iris saw it.

"And make _Barry_ here do it."

His brows narrowed. "Now, wait just a minute."

"Since he was the one to assume so quickly there was nothing that seriously wrong with it."

His mouth fell open.

"She has a point, Barry," Felicity added, which he did not appreciate, but he was too in shock to send her a dirty look.

Iris smiled smugly.

"_Fine_," Barry ground out.

The silence could be cut with a knife, but it also radiated with heat. Felicity needed to put a stop to the tension before things escalated out of control.

"There's a Bed and Breakfast on the outskirts of town that you might want to look into, Iris." She pulled out a pamphlet for it and handed it to her. "The couple is real sweet, and last I checked they're completely vacant right now."

Iris flipped through the pamphlet suspiciously.

"The Allens?"

"Mhmm," Felicity answered. "Barry's parents."

Iris froze, then look up and shot a piercing gaze at both of them.

"Barry's _parents_?" she fumed.

Felicity nodded, but warily now.

Iris sighed and closed the pamphlet.

_Of course they are._

She was obviously annoyed, but she also suspected there was nowhere else to go unless she went to the next town over. The closer she could be to her car, the better.

She summoned a brilliantly forced smile.

"You guys have a cab service around here?"

Felicity smiled and nodded, warming to the topic. She pulled out another brochure.

"Francisco Ramon, but he likes to go by Cisco. He's very friendly too."

_God, is __**everyone**__ in this town 'very friendly'?_ She thought, disgusted.

"Thanks," she said dryly, taking the brochure from the blonde.

"He's right across the street." Felicity pointed helpfully and Iris turned to look. "I'm sure he'll be happy to help you."

Iris sighed.

"We'll call you with an update later this afternoon."

"Okay then."

And without another look, Iris turned and trudged across the empty street, stopping abruptly when she saw the dark, shoulder-length hair on a man who looked much younger than he probably was.

"Are you Cisco?"

"Yes, I am," he said, standing up fully from his lean against the building. He took his sunglasses off. "Do you need my ser– _Wow_, you are _hot_."

Iris suppressed a groan.

_Great. Just great._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I have actually almost written this entire story. It's going to be 20 chaps total! Luckily for y'all, over half of those chaps have been beta'd, and I should be uploading them all here soon. I hope you enjoy!

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 3 -**

Another bump in the road had Iris bracing herself as her body involuntarily lifted off the seat, since Cisco refused to slow down. He wasn't going all that fast to begin with, but speed bumps had a way of turning a regular car ride into a roller coaster if you didn't slow down for them. The first one had Iris bumping her head on the ceiling of the cab.

"Whoa, are you okay?" he'd asked when her face came into view of the rearview mirror just before the thud.

Iris braced herself against the door and tucked the toes of her heels underneath the front passenger seat to ground herself.

"I'm fine."

That was the first time.

After the third speed bump within a block, Iris had started to grind her teeth.

"These speed bumps, I tell ya…" Cisco said with a chuckle, one she did not appreciate.

"Why are they here?" she asked, placing an arm above her head to block the ceiling from hitting her when they crossed over another speed bump.

"School zone," he informed her.

"Let me guess. Only school in the whole town," she said dryly.

"Good guess," Cisco said with a grin.

Iris rolled her eyes.

"Are we-" Bump. "Almost-" Bump. "_There_?" she ground out.

This time Cisco's chuckle was a little more strained.

"Another ten minutes probably," he paused. "But after I turn this corner right here…" He turned onto a clear street. "No more speed bumps." He glanced at her through his rearview mirror. "See?"

Iris heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness."

She rolled down the window in her car door and inhaled the sweet, summer air.

"You like the outdoors?" he asked casually.

"It's not my favorite."

He frowned. "Oh."

"But it's a little sticky in here, so I figured I'd try and catch a breeze."

"Oh." He grimaced. "Sorry about that. I'm working on getting air conditioning for all my cabs."

"You have more than one?" she asked, not trying to sneer but coming across that way.

Cisco bristled but spoke as calmly as he could.

"I have three."

"Are you the only driver?"

His hands clenched on the steering wheel.

"Barry helps me sometimes."

He expected her to ask who Barry was, but she didn't, and she was muttering something he couldn't quite make out.

"Why does he do that?" she asked, resting her arm on the windowsill.

He was baffled. "It's what good friends do, I guess."

"You're _friends_ with him?" she asked, sneering on purpose this time, and Cisco felt himself get defensive.

"Yeah. Barry's a great guy. You should meet him." Though he had a feeling she already had, and they hadn't quite gotten off on the right foot.

"I already did," she said. "Unfortunately," she muttered under her breath.

Cisco didn't know what to say to that, so he kept silent, rolled down his own window so there'd be a cross-current for her, and drove down the smooth, country roads until finally they reached the Allen's Bed and Breakfast on the outskirts of town.

"We're here."

Iris examined the property. Tall grass was growing all around the back of the house, but the front lawn was cut well. The house was a light blue with white trim and had pretty peach-pink curtains hanging in the windows. The front porch was wide with a couple wooden chairs and a swing. A potted plant sat in the corner. The sign right by the road was in need of a paint job, but if you didn't look too hard at it you couldn't tell.

Iris was just used to looking hard.

She rolled up the window, grabbed her purse and opened the door, then paused.

"Oh. How much do I owe you?"

He waved her off. "No charge."

Her brows furrowed. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "I give all my customers a free ride the first time around. Besides, you're from out of town and probably aren't staying long, so-"

"Do you know who I am? Who my father is?"

"Uh…"

"Nevermind. Just take the $20." She handed the bill over to him.

"Oh, I don't think-"

"I know it was more than that, but if you won't tell me…" She looked over to the meter in the front, center of the car and saw it hadn't even been turned on. She sighed. "Just take it."

"Wait, Miss!"

He got out of the car and started to run after her, but she was surprisingly fast in her high heels, so he stopped when she reached the top of the stairs leading up to the porch and went back inside his yellow cab, driving away almost simultaneously when she knocked on the door.

No one came to the door at first, and Iris scolded herself for not asking Cisco to wait to see if someone was actually home. The town was small, but it wasn't exactly just a block or two to the next property. This house was a good chunk of time by car. Who knew how long it would take her to walk, in heels no less, to the next suitable resting spot?

Just as she was about to turn back around or at least rest for a few minutes on the cushioned swing, the knob turned and the door opened, and the sweetest woman Iris had ever laid her eyes on smiled at her, beckoning her towards her without even saying a word.

"Are you looking for a place to stay, darling?"

"I…I am." _Had she actually stuttered?_

"Come inside," she said, stepping back so Iris could do exactly that. "I just brought out some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and apple cider."

The offer was too enticing to refuse, so she followed her inside to the kitchen.

"Look who I found standing on our porch, Henry."

A man looking to be about the woman's age with somewhat graying hair and a solid build – and a cookie halfway to his mouth – sat at the table and smiled.

"A guest?"

"A guest." The woman smiled warmly.

Henry stood up and circle around the table to shake Iris' hand.

"I'm Henry Allen, and this is my wife, Nora." He pulled Nora in to wrap an arm around her waist. "How long do you expect to be staying with us?"

Iris could hardly catch her breath. The love radiated off of them in waves. She couldn't get enough of it.

"I…um…about a week. My car's being fixed in the auto shop, and that's how long they said it would take to get the part and fix it."

"Oh, the auto shop!" Nora cheered. Iris' eyes widened, and Henry chuckled.

"Excuse my wife's enthusiasm. You see, our son works there. He's probably the one working on your car."

Iris forced a smile, for the first time in a long time not feeling the inclination to be snippy with someone who even slightly annoyed her. And Nora hadn't really. It was sweet how much she loved her son. If Iris pretended Barry wasn't their son, she could ignore the irritation completely.

"Probably."

"His name's Barry," Nora gushed, and Iris had to resist the urge to frown.

_So much for pretending._

…

A few hours later, Barry rolled up to the Bed and Breakfast, noticed no one was sitting on the porch, and decided to sit in his truck for a few minutes before going in.

He normally only came for dinner at his parents' place on Sundays, but after Cisco had returned from taking Iris there and did not appear to be acting his cheery self, Barry decided to take action. Iris West had already pissed himself off and one of his best friends, who rarely let anything bother him, which was bad enough. He was not going to let her be a pest to his parents too.

It was true they hadn't had much business lately, and so Iris with her fancy credit card could do wonders for them, but not if she acted as if they were beneath her with every word she uttered. He needed to protect them from her, and if that meant having dinner with them twice this week, well, that was hardly a burden to bear. He adored his parents.

A bouquet of his mother's favorite flowers in one hand, Barry exited his vehicle five minutes later and walked up the steps, not even hesitating to open the door and step inside. What he didn't expect was to see Iris walking down the steps in a very familiar summer dress he could've sworn he'd seen in old pictures his mom had shown them.

"Iris," he said, confused and briefly riveted. "You look…"

"Oh, are those for me?" she asked, snatching the daisies from his hand and inhaling the scent. "They're not my favorite, and they hardly make up for what you've done to me, but I suppose it's a start." She paused. "Barely."

Barry's eyebrows narrowed and he took them back, making her frown.

"They're not for you."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and heat flooded her face, both annoyed with him and embarrassed for herself.

"Oh, Barry!" Nora gushed, coming in through the back door. She quickly took her apron off and washed her hands of the dirt covering them. Then she went to her son and hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you." She pulled back, still grinning. "I was just doing some gardening. Your father's in the back, chopping wood."

For the first time, she noticed the flowers in his hand. Her eyes widened with delight.

"Oh, daisies! My favorite. You shouldn't have."

He obliged her with a smile. It was the same thing she said every time he brought them to her.

"Yes, I should." He leaned down to press his lips to her cheek. "You deserve them."

Her smile was so wide, Iris was starstruck by it. And so was Barry.

"Well, let me just put these in some water, and then you can tell me all about your day before I start to make dinner. Iris, would you- Oh!" She turned to her son excitedly. "Barry, have you met Iris? She's going to be staying with us for a whole week!"

"Yes…" Barry forced out. "We've met."

Iris forced an equally strained smile and said, "Just now."

Barry gave her a curious look, wondering why she felt the need to lie, but he didn't call her out on it. He didn't particularly want his parents to think badly of her when they clearly felt otherwise from the onset.

"She's such a dear, Barry. Are you the one working on her car?"

He nodded. "I am."

"Well, you make sure you fix it right and good, so this little lady doesn't have to come back and complain."

Barry held back a snort. He was sure she'd love to do exactly that – and demand her money back too. But again, he said nothing implying that opinion.

"I'll do the best I can," he said, aware of Iris eyeing him skeptically just a few feet away.

"Well, come out into the sunroom with me, honey, and tell me about your day. Iris, would you mind getting Henry from the back and telling him Barry is here?"

"Oh, sure," Iris said with a smile, and not a hint of irritation, which surprised her as much as it did Barry.

She disappeared out the back door, and Barry followed his mother into the sunroom where they relaxed into some wicker chairs.

"So, tell me." She patted his hand. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Barry watched through the screen window as Iris walked through the backyard to where his father was chopping wood and got his attention. His eye caught how the blue-and-white polka dot dress swayed in the breeze and the glide of Iris' gate as she approached the opening where the stump sat and wood lay in a pile. Her long hair was now in a braid down her back that he suspected his mother had done. All of which seemed very strange and so unlike what he thought he'd be walking into.

"Not much," he lied, bringing a glass of apple cider to his lips.

In the distance, Henry smiled when he became aware of Iris, and smiled wider after she presumably told him his son had come for a visit.

As they headed back to the house, Iris caught Barry's eye for the briefest of seconds before looking away.

Barry suspected things had just become very, very complicated.


	4. Chapter 4

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 4 -**

Barry was going crazy with suspicion, trying to figure out what sort of game Iris West was playing. Why was she being so nice to his parents? Was she going to try to turn them against him before the week was up? Was that going to be her final revenge for the supposed wrongs he'd committed against her? He was already unwillingly working on her car, for God's sake - and he had to do a good job too or she'd be stuck here longer than a week. And he could not have that. In fact, if he wasn't such a sucker for seeing his parents' faces light up with bigger smiles than he'd seen in a long time, he would've made it his mission to turn _them_ against _her_.

But when his dad walked through the door, he let the thought fall to the wayside.

"Dad," he greeted, standing up and going to him as Iris slipped around the two men and came to sit by Nora who immediately squeezed her hand affectionately. "I'd hug you, but-"

"No, no, I understand." He wiped his face with the towel he'd brought in with him. "I'm sweatin' like a pig." He chuckled. Barry laughed a little too.

"A charming pig."

Iris smirked beside Nora, amused by the dynamic between Barry and his dad. It seemed it was only her he was unfriendly with.

"Aren't they darling?" Nora sighed contently. "I'm so lucky to have them."

"Mmm," Iris agreed. Nora didn't catch her rolling her eyes.

"All right, Charming Pig," Nora said with a laugh. Henry switched his gaze to his wife.

"Looking lovely, as always," he said, reaching for her hand to lay a kiss to it.

Nora allowed it, a bit of a blush spreading across her cheeks.

For the shortest moment, Barry turned to look at Iris, still smiling from how blatantly affectionate his parents were being. The smile on her face dropped into a scowl the second she caught his gaze, though, and he inwardly scoffed and rolled his eyes. What had he been thinking, really? That they could appreciate his parents' love together, even if they despised each other in every other regard?

He was a fool.

"Go take a shower," Nora finally managed. "And you too, Bartholomew."

His jaw dropped. So did Iris'.

"Bartholomew? Am I in trouble?"

"No." Nora grinned. "But you've been working in an auto shop all day with grease and oil. It's nice you washed your face and hands, but I'm betting you could use a washing of your own."

Barry chuckled. "All right. I'll just head upstairs, and-"

"Just make sure to use the bathroom at the end of the hall. Iris is staying in your room. Let's not invade her space as long as she's here."

Barry's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Iris, who was equally flabbergasted.

"I'm staying in-"

"She's staying in my room?"

Barry and Iris answered at the same time.

"It's the biggest besides mine and Henry's," she defended. "And the only one with a bathroom attached to it besides our own." She switched her gaze to Barry's solely. "I don't know why there's a problem. This is a bed and breakfast now, Barry. Guests have stayed in your room before."

"Well, I know, but-"

"Yeah, what's the problem?" Iris joined in, glaring at him as fiercely as his mother. Though her glare was more amused. She was enjoying putting him in a tough spot.

"I just…" He pulled his shirt out a little to gesture to it. "Where are my clothes?"

Iris snorted. "Don't you have your own place?"

"Now, now, dear." Nora took her hand and patted it. "He's right. We always keep an extra pair of clothes in his old room for him when he comes over right after work." She switched her gaze to her son. "I put them in our room, in the closet. Better head upstairs before your dad hops into the shower, so you can grab them. You know how he gets…locking the door and all that."

"Right. Okay." He leaned forward to press a kiss to his mother's cheek, glanced at Iris once, who raised her eyebrows, amused, and then turned for the stairs, taking them two at a time till he reached the top.

Iris could hear the knock on Henry and Nora's bedroom door, followed by Henry letting his son inside to grab his clothes.

"Iris, dear?"

She turned to face her and smiled apologetically, realizing she'd been calling to her.

"Sorry, I was just-"

Nora smiled, and Iris knew immediately that she'd made the wrong assumption.

"You taking an interest in my son?"

"No!" She reined herself in. "No, it's not that." She cleared her throat. "I was just…" She shook her head. Why had she been so intrigued by Barry going up the stairs and retrieving his clothes?

"I understand," Nora said. "Would you like to help me in the kitchen?"

Nora didn't understand, and Iris had never 'helped in the kitchen' before. She lived in a mansion with cooks and maids and gardeners. It had been that way her entire life. And for some reason, she didn't want to embarrass herself by revealing that she was no small town, ordinary girl or that she didn't have asingle cooking skill aside from taste-testing.

"Um, actually, I'm feeling kind of tired. Would you mind if I took a short nap in my room before dinner is served?" _Barry's room. Ugh._ She would have to get used to that fact.

"Of course not, dear. You must've had a very long day. I'll send Barry to knock on your door when everything's ready."

Iris grimaced inwardly. She'd rather not have him do it, but she supposed she couldn't complain. Especially when it would probably annoy him also.

"Okay," she said. "Thanks."

"You're our guest. Never feel like you have to do anything other than what you want to do." She smiled.

Iris smiled back, filled with a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Thank you, Mrs. Allen."

She shook her head, dismissing the title.

"Please. It's Nora."

"Nora."

Iris smiled and turned to make her way up the stairs.

…

Barry hardly expected his mother to be fetching Iris from his room when he returned to the kitchen. Or _her_ room, rather. That would take some getting used to. But his mother was right. He needed to treat Iris like she was any other guest. And he would make every effort to. At least, whenever they were in his parents' presence. When they were alone, it was another story entirely - and he intended to make that very clear.

Which was why he had gone to the upstairs hallway and knocked on Iris' door.

"Just a minute!" she called out, sounding aggravated.

He took some joy in that, but he was also confused. He turned the knob and walked into the bedroom.

"I said, wait a minu-"

Barry leaned against the doorframe, taking her in. Her hair looked fine, make-up looked fine, but she was wearing a different dress now and looked to be struggling with buttoning up the back.

He'd been planning to lead with 'We need to talk', as opposed to his mother's suggested, 'Dinner is ready', but he found himself spilling out something different entirely.

"Need some help?"

Her eyebrows narrowed immediately.

"Not from _you_."

He rolled his eyes and crossed the room. She moved around so he couldn't catch sight of her bare back.

He came to a stop.

"That's my aunt's dress. I know how to button it. What's more…" He caught a glance of her back. "The buttons you've managed to do are in the wrong holes." He gave her a knowing look. She scowled.

"You're enjoying this."

He sighed. "Let me help you. Then we can talk."

She scoffed. "I'm not talking to you," she said, reluctantly turning so he could unbutton and then re-button her dress. The buttons went down to the small of her back, and she gasped when she felt his fingers brush her warm skin.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Why'd you change anyway? You looked fine before, and I doubt you did any work in that dress."

She frowned, turning around as soon as he'd finished. He was so close though that she could hardly catch her breath. He smelled good. _Really_ good. If she didn't hate his guts so much…

No. Stop it.

She huffed.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, putting distance between them.

"Well, first of all, I'd like to know what game you're playing." He folded his arms across his chest.

She scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"With my parents. You're being so…nice."

She rolled her eyes, folding her arms as well.

"I can be nice."

"Yeah? I didn't get that impression _at all_ before I came here."

"We just met. You don't know me."

"You don't know me either."

"Clearly not. Though for all I know, you're only nice to your parents and no one else."

"This is my town," he said. "I grew up here. I'm nice to everybody."

"Except me."

"You don't live here."

"Oh, so you're only hostile to tourists then?"

"We don't get many of those." He paused. "Besides, I wasn't the one who pulled out a middle finger after I tried to give you some decent advice."

"You thought I was just some rich girl who knew nothing about cars!"

He raised an eyebrow as if to say, _"Was I wrong though?_"

"Which is besides the point! You were mean."

"I was not-" He raised his hands. "Okay, look, we're obviously not going to get along. Ever. And I don't even know if I totally believe that you genuinely like my parents. But you put on a good show at dinner, and I'll try to avoid you as much as I can while you're here. Deal?"

He held out his hand for her to shake, and her nose scrunched in disgust.

"I'm not touching you."

"I just took a shower," he defended.

"I don't care." She crossed the room, stopping only a moment after she'd opened the door again. "But, deal." She shrugged. "If you can believe that."

He sucked in an aggravated sigh and followed her out of the room.

"You never told me why you changed-"

"I napped in it. It had wrinkles."

He raised his eyebrows, amused.

"You might run out of dresses that way."

"I'm sure your mom will assist me if I do."

"Yeah, by handing you an iron and an ironing board." He paused, malicious now. "Oh, wait, you probably don't know how to use those, do you?"

She ground her teeth and walked faster down the stairs, nearly tripping over herself if Barry hadn't steadied her by grabbing her around the waist just in time. Iris freed herself immediately, and Barry shook his head.

"Iris!" Nora said happily. "I was wondering when you'd come down." She smiled, glancing at her son and then back to her guest. "Were you sleeping pretty deeply?"

Iris cleared her throat and smoothed down her dress.

"Yes, I was."

"Pretty dress you picked out. Amazing how you were able to get those buttons though. My sister always needed my help with that one." She glanced over at his son, waiting for him to chip in.

"I helped," he offered.

"Just a little." Iris was quick to add.

"Mhmm."

Nora's "knowing" look was starting to get on Iris' nerves, but she tried her best not to let it show.

"Well, come sit down." She gestured towards the kitchen table filled with food. "Henry should be in at any moment."

"I'm surprised he's not now," Barry said. "He was finished before I was."

"He just went to check the mail, honey," Nora said, and seated herself at the table.

Barry and Iris sat at the table across from each other, a fleeting glance or two but nothing substantial. Nora, however, was watching them like a hawk.

"This looks delicious, Nora," Iris said. "I can't remember the last time I've had such a…delicious-looking home meal."

Barry suppressed a snort.

"It does look good, Mom. You've outdone yourself."

"Thank you. Both of you."

She placed her hand on each of theirs just as Henry was coming through the door.

"Anything?" Nora asked.

Henry shook his head. "Just bills. Oh, and a flyer for the upcoming festival."

"The festival!" Nora nearly jumped out of her seat. "Oh, you must take Iris, Barry. You must."

Barry could hardly form words.

Iris looked at him amused.

"We'll see, Mom…I'm going to be working all week."

"Not at night you won't. Your place closes at six. Promise, promise you'll take her. It's a once in a lifetime experi-"

"Okay, okay." He laughed, then promptly avoided Iris' amused gaze. "If she wants to go."

Iris folded her hands beneath her chin and grinned sardonically.

"I'd love to."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Another chap! To the guest reviewer who was eager for more asap, sorry for the delay! I'm posting fics in the order I wrote them, but there should definitely be more updates of this one coming soon! I'm writing chapter 19 currently, so there are many chaps ready to post. Thank you for your investment!

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 5 -**

After supper, Barry insisted on helping his mom with the dishes and putting away food. He knew Iris wouldn't offer, but that wasn't why he himself stood up to do it. Truth was he usually helped his mom with the dishes after supper when he came over - but even that wasn't the entire reason he was doing it now. The reason in full was to get away from Iris and give himself some time to think about what the hell was going on between the two of them and, more specifically, with her.

Iris West had made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. He was fine with that. He wanted nothing to do with her either. And yet, when his mom suggested he take her to the festival later in the week, she was nothing if not enthusiastic.

Of course, it could all be a ploy, a façade in front of his parents. She could very easily make up an excuse later, and so could he, but right now not knowing was killing him.

He hated how easily she'd gotten into his head, and he hated how she'd gotten his parents to adore her, not knowing her for the spoiled, indecent brat she was.

He supposed for the time being, he had to let things go as they were. The whole situation was obviously out of his control and in hers. The best thing to do was to get out of here as soon as possible and forget about Iris West until he absolutely had to focus on her again, most likely by taking her to the festival.

"Are you all right, honey?" Nora asked, stopping to scrub the dishes and tilting her head in her son's direction. "You're awfully quiet."

"Just a long day," he said.

Nora didn't appear to be completely convinced, but when Barry insisted on finishing up the dishes himself, she chose to accept his excuse and join Henry and Iris on the front porch.

"Iris, have I told you how darling you look in that dress?"

Iris looked up as Nora stepped out onto the porch and came to sit beside her husband on the bench.

"I believe you did," Iris said with a smile. "But I don't mind hearing it again."

Nora shared in her smile and took her husband's hand in her own.

"Well, you do." She glanced at her husband and then over at Iris again. "So, what do you plan to do while you're here, Iris? Aside from going to the festival, of course. Surely you don't plan on staying at the house all day every day."

"Well…I don't exactly have means to travel," she pointed out. "And no offense, Nora, but you're not close to anything in town."

"None taken," she assured her. "Henry and I wanted to get away from the center of town, and many of the guests we've had appreciate the countryside."

"As do I," Iris said. "It's a breath of fresh air from where I come from in the city."

"But you enjoy the city, don't you?"

Everyone turned around to see Barry standing in the doorway, a dish towel over one shoulder.

"Barry, honey, come sit with us." Nora patted a wicker chair beside the bench, but her son politely declined.

"Thanks, but I've got to be heading back before it gets dark." The mournful look on his mother's face made him continue with, "I'll come by tomorrow, okay? Bring you some more flowers."

Nora gushed as she went to her son and kissed each cheek.

"My beautiful boy, you don't have to do that."

He smiled, putty in her hands. "I want to."

"Shall I put some food in a container for you to take home?"

"Nah, I've got stuff in my fridge. Thanks, though."

He started to walk down the steps when Iris' voice stopped him.

"What are you doing tonight, Barry?"

Nora's quiet gasp was unmistakable.

"Probably just going home," he said, sounding bored to tears. "It's been a long day."

"Mmm."

"You know, Barry," Nora said, joining him on the last step. "If it's not too much trouble, maybe you could take Iris in town with you tonight."

His eyebrows narrowed. "Why would I do that? I just said I'm going straight home."

"We both know that's not true, son," Henry piped up next to Iris.

Iris was clearly amused.

"Huh?" Barry asked.

"You're going to see Oliver, and the two of you are going to go out to a bar. That's how you blow steam off almost every night, and it's what you're going to do tonight. Isn't it?"

Barry shocked. His mouth fell open.

"Maybe see if Felicity is free," Nora encouraged.

Barry frowned and turned to his mother.

"Why Felicity?"

"She's so friendly! I'm sure she'd love to show Iris around tonight."

Somehow Barry doubted that.

"You know, that's okay…I don't know if I'm up for going out," Iris said quickly.

Nora turned towards Iris.

"What's wrong, dear? Aren't you feeling well?"

"Just tired," she assured.

"See, she's tired. Just like I am. And no, that does not equal me going out with Oliver. At least not tonight." Henry seemed unconvinced. "He's got a date."

"Well, I know when not to push too hard," Nora said, clearing her throat. "Goodnight, Barry. I'll see you tomorrow."

He bent down some so she could kiss his cheek.

"Goodnight, Mom." He glanced over at Henry. "Goodnight, Dad." His eyes flitted over briefly at the third party. "Iris."

"Barry," she said, not really trying to hide her amusement.

The three of them watched as Barry walked down the gravel driveway to his truck, got inside and drove away. Henry and Nora went inside then, but Iris stayed and watched until the vehicle was nothing more than a speck in the distance. Following which, she went inside and went up to her room to get into something more comfortable.

As soon as she reached her room though, she realized the task would be more difficult than expected.

She hadn't been the one to perfectly align and button the buttons streaming down the back of her dress to the base of her neck.

She cleared her throat and leaned out into the hall.

"Nora?" She waited until she heard an affirmative response. "Can I get your help with something for a minute?"

…

The next morning as breakfast was coming to an end, Nora Allen broached the subject of the day's activities with Iris.

"Iris." She dabbed the corner of her lips with a napkin. "Dear, have you thought about what you're going to do today?"

Iris glanced up at her, embarrassed to not really have an answer. She shook her head timidly as she swallowed another bite of pancakes.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, dear," Nora said, reading her so well as she lay her hand over hers. "I was just asking." She cleared her throat. "I was asking because I thought…well, maybe you want to go into town today? Do some shopping? Some exploring? I know you can't possibly want to just stay at the house the whole week you're here, and the festival doesn't start up for another couple days."

Her brows furrowed together.

"But how would I-"

"Get there?" Nora asked, and shared a knowing look with her husband. "Well, it just so happens Henry here will be going into town to pick up some things from the hardware store." She smiled at him, and then looked back at Iris. "Barry could pick you up on the way back when he comes over for supper."

"Again?" she blanched, her irritation slightly showing until she registered the couple's curious stares in her direction. "I mean…" She cleared her throat. "He comes over every day? For supper?"

"Just about," Nora said happily.

Henry leaned towards Iris to whisper conspiratorially.

"He's always been a bit of a mama's boy."

Iris offered a weak smile that turned into a genuine one when Nora burst in with, "I heard that!"

This couple was so adorable. Iris envied them for what they had. She wanted that. She wished she had parents like them growing up.

"Well, I'm up for it if Barry is." She tried to smile, but it came across a little strained. Or at least it felt that way. She was not looking forward to a long car ride with Barry where he whined about how inconvenienced he was about driving her, even if he was heading for his parents' house anyway.

"Oh, I'm sure he will be. He likes you."

Iris almost spit up her drink.

"I don't think he does actually," she said, going with the truth.

Nora frowned. "Why do you say that?"

Iris held her breath. Dare she tell them she'd been a total bitch to him when they first met, even though she still 100% stood by what she'd said and done?

"He helped you button up your dress yesterday," she pointed out, saving Iris from having to answer.

"You're right," Iris said, swallowing her distaste for the moment. "That was very…kind of him."

She ignored the curious look Henry was giving her.

"And he's taking you to the festival!" Nora cheered, making Iris' ability to fake enthusiasm even more difficult.

"Uh-huh…"

"Nora, darling…" Henry interrupted, placing his hand over his wife's. "Perhaps we should…"

"Oh, right, of course. I'm sorry, Iris. Sometimes I get ahead of myself." She leaned forward. "I want grandchildren so badly."

Heat surged into Iris' face as her eyes bulged open.

"Okay!" Henry announced, pushing his chair back. "Why don't you go and get ready, Iris. I'll meet you at the door in say…15 minutes?"

Iris nodded gratefully.

"That sounds like a good idea." She pushed her chair back in after getting up. "Thank you for breakfast, Nora," she said before turning away. "It was delicious."

"You're welcome, dear," she said, a frown in her voice.

Iris high-tailed it up the stairs and shut the door to her room a little louder than she'd intended, a chill spreading across her skin as goosebumps appeared out of nowhere.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Henry gave his wife a knowing look. He waited until she registered it.

"What? Did I do something?"

"Grandchildren?"

Nora sighed. "Too soon?"

"They've known each other a day."

She nibbled on her bottom lip.

"Well, I do want them. And I know our Barry is just perfect for Iris!"

"You said that about the last girl that stayed here too."

Nora pouted.

He shook his head and smiled, pulling her in.

"Come on, I'll help you with dishes."

Nora grinned and let him lead her into the kitchen, a pile of dishes in each of their hands.

Upstairs behind the closed door, Iris opted to wear the dress she'd come to town in yesterday. Nora had washed it for her the night before and had it ironed and ready to wear this morning. The red, black, and white number was one of her favorites, but if she was exploring town today, she knew she'd have to wear something else. Something a little more fun and summery. Some short-shorts and halter tops maybe. Some cute sandals and dangly earrings too.

The more she thought about it, the more fun a shopping spree sounded. Her only problem, of course, was where to put everything during the day if she went on to do other activities.

Maybe the store could hold everything for her…

They certainly didn't mind doing that in Central City.

But then in Central City, people knew her. Paparazzi followed her. Everyone and anyone bent over backwards just to do her bidding. It made her feel powerful and important and special. But it also made her feel incredibly alone. It was almost impossible to form a real connection with anybody.

Either way, she was a long way from home. She couldn't count on limos and assistants and chauffeurs to be beside her at a moment's notice. Those things likely didn't even exist here.

Gathering up her purse, rummaging through it to make sure she'd have everything she'd need in an eight-hour period, Iris flung the strap of it over her shoulder and put on a brilliant smile, determined to not bring up the _grandchildren_ comment, and hopefully Nora would follow suit.

Just as she was about to leave, she remembered her phone sitting on the bed. As she picked it up, it started to vibrate. A familiar name flashed across the screen, and she smiled, answering immediately.

"Hey, Wally! What's up?" She beamed, forever enthused to talk to her brother.

His response was not so friendly.

"Where the hell have you been?"


	6. Chapter 6

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 6 -**

Iris' heart dropped in her chest at the same moment her body landed on the corner of the bed.

_Why was Wally so angry?_ He was hardly ever mad, let alone at her.

"Iris?" he demanded angrily. "Don't you dare hang up on me."

"I'm here," she said quietly, her nerves getting the better of her.

"_Well_?"

She sighed, trembling.

"I don't understand. Where am I supposed to be?"

"At _home_. With me and Dad. I know you two had a fight, but-"

That struck a nerve for some reason. Here her baby brother was telling her how she was supposed to run her life? Uh-uh.

"Wallace. I am 28 years old. Don't be telling me what I can and cannot do. I should've moved out a long time ago."

"Yeah?" he asked, unthwarted. "Did you have to take Dad's prize possession with you, though? If you did it to get back at him, you have another thing coming when you return."

"Who says I'm returning?" she barked, though she'd had every intention of returning up until this very moment.

Wally laughed. "I do. And Dad as soon as he finds out you've run off with his precious black Cadillac, and it wasn't stolen by some stranger. You know he tracks us."

Her eyes narrowed. "So, hack my phone."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"That's high tech, Iris, and you know it. Dad came up with it himself. It's how he's the richest man in the city."

"And you're smarter than he is."

Silence.

"I…appreciate the compliment, but-"

"You are. Dad's smart, but you've got his and mom's genes combined. Dad doesn't talk about her, but I remember what she was like, and she was a genius. You're a genius." She paused to turn the conversation back to her. "I know you can hack my phone remotely and cloak it so he can't see where I'm at."

He groaned.

"_Iris_, don't make me do this."

She rolled her eyes.

"You'll still be Dad's favorite if he figures it out, which he won't. He'd never suspect you'd do something for your sister, of _all_ people."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it?"

"You're more important to me than anyone. You know that."

"Sure didn't sound like that when I picked up the phone."

He sighed. "I just don't want you to catch Dad's wrath is all. But I do think it's stupid what you did."

"I was only going to take it out for the day," she admitted finally. "Make him sweat a little not knowing where it is and then sneak it back when he was in a meeting."

"Yeah, so what stopped you from bringing it back?"

_I…sort of…broke the car._

No, she couldn't say that.

"I…"

"Iris, darling, is everything okay?" Nora called up from the bottom of the stairs.

"I have to go."

"Wait, Iris, no."

"I'm fine! I'll be down in a minute!" She called out into the hall.

"Where _are_ you?"

Iris took a breath and focused her attention back on her brother.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"…Try me," he finally managed, pretty sure she was right.

She sighed testily.

"Just hack the phone, alright?"

"Iris."

"And the car too, while you're at it."

"Iris!"

"I'll tell you more when I can, but most likely I'll be back in a week or so."

"A week?! Where the hell are you, Iris?"

"Gotta go, bye!"

Click.

Iris tucked the phone into her purse and tried to put Wally and their father out of her mind as she made her way downstairs where the Allen's were waiting for her.

"Is everything all right, dear?" Nora asked, her brows furrowed worriedly.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine," she reassured again. "That was just my brother on the phone. He was worried about me since I kind of disappeared yesterday and never came back; and hadn't told anyone back home." She forced some nervous laughter.

"Ah, well, that explains things," Henry said, though Nora was still looking a little concerned.

"Mhmm." Iris smiled a little too brightly, her gaze flitting away from the mother-like figure before her.

"Are you ready to go then?" Henry asked, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, definitely. I am ready to start my shopping spree."

He chuckled, and Nora relaxed finally.

"You sure you'll be okay all alone all day, dear?"

Iris' smile was genuine this time.

"I'll be perfectly fine."

The sound of the door opening broke Iris' reassuring gaze, and she caught the head nod from Henry at the entrance.

"I'll be back this evening for supper," she reminded her. "That's something to look forward to."

"Oh, yes, with Barry!" Nora exclaimed, lighting up.

Iris did her very best not to look chagrined or depressed.

_And then there was that_.

"Yes, with Barry," she agreed, then walked out the door after Henry before she'd have to force another smile regarding that one.

Henry was chuckling when she caught up with him.

"She means well," he said after getting into the driver's seat.

"Oh, I know," Iris said, buckling her seat belt.

"She just…gets attached quickly, and-"

"Wants grandchildren?" She raised her eyebrows as he met her gaze, stifling a grin.

"You caught that, huh?"

"She could not have _been_ any more obvious."

He drove out onto the street, making one turn and then continuing on the long drive into town.

"I hope you won't hold it against her."

"Oh no, of course not. I appreciate so much how you've both welcomed me into your home."

"Well, you're our guest."

"A paying guest," she pointed out.

"Oh, that's not- We aren't-"

"No, I know," she was quick to assure. "Something tells me you'd be just as warm and welcoming to anyone dropping by even if they weren't paying for your kindness and hospitality."

"And a bed to sleep in."

"That too." She laughed and relaxed in her seat, forgetting Barry and Wally and everything but the sweetness of this couple on the possibilities the day lay before her.

It was going to be a good one. She'd make sure of it.

…

Henry slowed to a stop in a parking spot after turning into the hardware store parking lot some time later. The bold red lettering above the doors spelled out _Old Al's Hardware Store_. Iris wondered if-

"My dad owns this store."

And there it was.

"It's actually been passed down through the generations in my family. I was the first not to claim it, and Barry isn't interested in it either, but my dad understands – for now."

"He's getting up there?" Iris asked daintily.

Henry chuckled beside her. "In his seventies. But he likes to think he's still in his twenties."

Iris smiled. "Does he look it?"

He turned to face her, his eyes sparkling.

"Don't you be getting any ideas, missy. The man is happily married."

She laughed. "I would never!" She put her hand over her heart in mock shock.

"If you're looking to be settling in with the Allen family, your eyes should be set on our son, not his grandfather."

An awkward silence followed. One that Henry Allen quickly made amends for.

"I'm sorry, Iris." He shook his head, then muttered, "I'm as bad as my wife."

Iris laughed again, then laid a hand on his arm to console him.

"It's okay, Henry. Really. I enjoy spending time with you and Nora, and both of you obviously feel the same way about me. But…I think there has to be…"

"A spark?"

"A spark, yes. There has to be a spark for me to be interested in your son, and aside from the fact that he shares the Allen family's good looks, I just haven't felt anything."

_At least nothing __**good**_, she thought to herself.

"Nothing?" he asked, wanting to be sure.

"No?" She winced, not wanting to disappoint him but not wanting to get his hopes up either. "I'm sorry."

"It's quite all right. The two of you just met. Who knows what could happen before the week is up?"

She blinked, startled by his persistence, which was almost worse than Nora's.

"I should probably…let you go." She pointed her thumb towards the door.

"Right. Of course. I apologize if I was too…"

"You weren't," she said, smiling brightly. "I promise."

"Okay."

Iris hopped out of the truck, slung her purpose over her shoulder and looked around at the downtown area they found themselves in starting at the next block.

"There should be some fashion boutiques just down the way," Henry was saying from the other side of the vehicle. "Nothing all that fancy, and only a few of them, but I think there's a café or two and a pet shop, if that interests you."

Iris' eyes lit up, and she turned to look at him.

"A pet shop?"

He smiled. "I take it that does interest you."

"Well, I mean…who doesn't love animals?"

"You definitely do."

She laughed.

"Have a good time today, Iris. I'll be here for about an hour or so. After that you can just call us at our landline. Be sure to stop by the auto shop for your ride home with Barry at six o'clock. That's when he gets off, and you don't want to miss it or you'll have to pay for a ride with Cisco again."

"You sound like you disapprove of him," she noted.

"Of Cisco? Not at all. But I got the feeling that you do."

"I'm that obvious?" she asked.

She thought she was doing pretty well hiding her true feelings around Henry and Nora. Apparently not.

He shook his head.

"Not at all. I'm just fairly good at reading people. That's all."

Well, that made her even more nervous. What else about her had he caught onto?

"I'll see you later, Iris," he said, giving her a quick wave before heading towards the store after locking up the truck.

"See you," she said, but quieter, so he probably hadn't heard her.

She shook herself out of her worry. She had promised herself today would be a good one, and she would make it that way. Even if she had to endure a car ride with Barry and a dinner where she had to actually be nice to him in front of his parents again.

She turned away from the store and headed down the block, glancing only once at the auto shop across the street before heading in the opposite direction. She wanted to get some distance away, so she walked to the far end of the block, which happened to be just across from a park with a sparkling fountain at the corner and a café across the street from it. This place didn't dazzle the way Central City did, but she was starting to warm up to its charm.

Smiling, she turned into the last shop on her left. _Linda's Silk & Shiver_. A unique name, she had to admit. She also had to wonder if almost every place in this town was named after its owner.

A whiff of lavender and air conditioning hit her the moment she walked through the door. The aroma suited the clothing, much of which was a shade of purple or accommodating color. She felt a shiver run through her as she brushed her fingers across the silky tank tops and spaghetti straps and suddenly knew she was in love.

"Hello," came a voice belonging to a gorgeous figure crept from the back room no doubt. "Can I help you?"

Iris turned to see a woman looking to be about her age, about her height, but instead of long, dark tresses like she had, her hair fell barely to her shoulders in soft waves. Her eyes shone with enthusiasm, and yet there was something calm and cool about her that Iris couldn't put her finger on. Still, she knew she was going to enjoy her company.

"You're Linda, I take it?" she asked, smiling.

"Guilty." She laughed, and it made Iris beam.

"You've got a gorgeous collection here. Did you design them all?"

"Everything you see in the store, yes. I have a new collection coming this fall though that I had some help with. The more your company grows, the less time you have to dedicate to your favorite part of it, it seems."

"Would you ever leave to get a bigger place in a bigger city?"

"Like Central City, you mean?" She smirked.

Iris' eyes widened. "I…"

"I'm not blind or stupid. I may live in a small town, but I keep up with what goes on in the big city and who the paparazzi follows. Iris West, am I right?"

Iris could hardly find her breath.

"Uh…yeah."

"I won't ask why you're here. And I won't tell anybody who you are either, don't worry."

"Thanks. I mean, I really just don't want the Allens to know."

"The Allens? Why would you care what they-? Oh, you're staying with them while you're here, is that it?"

"You sure you weren't a detective in another life?"

Linda laughed. "If I was, it sure is benefitting me to help customers find their perfect selection now."

Iris was amused. "Please, then, help me."

"You're hopeless otherwise?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Work your magic."

"All right, if you insist."

Linda walked over to her and started to weave through the clothing where Iris was standing. She picked out a few items and held them out to her.

"I'll show you where the changing room is."

"Out of curiosity…" Iris said, following her to the far end of the store. "How do you know the Allens? Is it just because everyone knows everyone in this town?"

"Well, that…" She unlocked the fitting room, and Iris stepped inside. "And I dated Barry."

Iris' eyes widened, but Linda shut the door.

"Dated? As in past tense? As in you're his _ex_-girlfriend?"

Linda laughed. "Try on the clothes, Iris West! We can gossip later."

"No way. I can multi-task," she said, slipping out of her dress to put on the first top. "Spill."

"Okay, fine." Linda sat down on a sparkly ottoman. "Yes, I'm his ex-girlfriend, but if you're looking for me to tell you all the things wrong with Barry Allen, you're asking the wrong person."

Iris pouted. "Why's that?"

Linda laughed again. "Because there is nothing wrong with the man. The relationship just ran its course. He didn't do a thing wrong, and neither did I."

"Impossible. Someone always does something wrong. Hearts are broken. You believe you're undeserving of love or no one is good enough for you. The end."

"Maybe for you, but not for me and Barry. We're good friends now, which is probably all we should've been from the start."

"He must have some faults."

"Well, we're all human, but-"

"Like, is he good in bed? He doesn't look like he's good in bed. He looks like he's terrible."

Iris opened the door in the first outfit, hardly able to enjoy it, even though it looked amazing on her. Linda's jaw was practically on the floor.

"Do you want to _find out_?"

Iris' voice was high-pitched when she answered. "_What_? No!"

Linda smirked. "The top and skirt looks great on you. You should get it."

"You going to charge me big bucks for it?" she dared.

"Like you don't have a million dollars on the many charge cards you brought in that fashionable purse of yours."

Iris rolled her eyes, then smiled. "You're exaggerating."

"You wish I was." Linda's eyes sparkled. "Try on the next one," she said, closing the door on Iris after she'd walked back inside the fitting room.

Iris sighed. "I don't want to know what he's like in bed." Linda said nothing. "I don't!"

"Then what _do_ you want to know about him? You want to know _something_ from his _ex-girlfriend_."

_Well, that was true_.

"Why does everyone like him so much?"

Linda frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone I meet thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. I want to know why."

"What do you have against him?" Linda asked, as Iris opened the door again.

"He's an asshole!"

"Another great combination on you," Linda said.

She was aggravated but gave a quick, clipped "Thanks" in response.

"You want to try the last combo or are you good for now?"

"Nah, I trust you. I'll just get it."

Linda smirked and took the items from her after Iris emerged from the fitting room with her original outfit.

"Look, I don't know what happened between the two of you that made you think he's the Devil himself, but he's not."

"Do you think I am?"

"Well, I don't really know you, but so far you seem pretty cool."

"Ask Barry what he thinks and see if he has the same opinion you do."

"He doesn't like you as much as you don't like him?"

"Exactly."

Linda shook her head.

"Sounds like the two of you are in denial."

"Of _what_?!"

Linda's lips parted, but she decided not to say what she was thinking.

"You know what, I haven't had many customers so far today. What do you say about me showing you around town, other shops, cafes, parks, the town square?"

"As long as we don't have to see Barry. Or Cisco, for that matter."

Her brows furrowed. "What do you have against Cisco?" she asked, more amused than defensive.

"He should not be a cab driver."

Linda laughed.

"All right. Deal. We won't see the boys."

Iris sighed contently, relieved.

"Perfect. When do we leave?"


	7. Chapter 7

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 7 -**

Barry wiped the sweat off his brow with a nearby rag and turned to look at the clock on the wall.

11 a.m.

Just another half hour until his lunch break.

"I'm gonna grab a drink," he said offhandedly in Oliver's direction.

"No way. In the middle of the _workday_?" Oliver asked, going for scandalized but failing.

Barry rolled his eyes and bent down at the water fountain by the bathrooms to take a gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and returned to the car he'd been working on.

"Was it good?" Oliver asked on his return. "Like, was it really good? Worth your money?"

Barry blinked. "It was free."

"So, no, then."

Barry shook his head and got back to work.

"What's up with you?"

Oliver shrugged. "Just trying to get you to loosen up. You've been tense all morning. What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Barry said. "I'm just focused."

"On the four tire replacements you've had to do today? Oh, yeah, that must require a _ton_ of focus."

Barry didn't say anything.

"It doesn't have anything to do with that girl who's staying at your parents' place by any chance, does it?"

Barry froze for a little too long.

"No, of course not."

"Wow, she must've really ruffled your feathers, huh?"

"She hasn't _ruffled_ anything."

"Was it her legs? Her ass? That silky voice that just makes you wanna-" His voice went low, almost grunting.

Barry looked up and glared.

"_That_, that right there is a protective boyfriend glare."

Barry had never been so offended in his life.

"It's a decent human being glare, and don't you forget it."

Oliver chuckled.

"I don't get it, man. I've never seen you this bothered before. Not over a woman, at least. And since when do you go around holding grudges?"

"I'm not holding a grudge," he ground out.

"No? Then what do you call it?"

"I just don't like her, okay?"

"So, put her out of your mind. Do your damn job. Go out drinking with me tonight. We'll find you a girl that'll make you forget all about the sassy bitch you can't get out of your head."

Barry tensed up again, not liking the way he referred to Iris. He didn't know why. It made zero sense for him to be protective, even if he felt that way over women in general when it came to Oliver.

"I can't…go out with you, I mean. I promised my parents I'd pick Iris up and head over for dinner tonight."

"Wait, pick her up? Is she in town?"

"Well, she couldn't stay with my parents at that house all week, could she?"

He shook his head. "I guess not, if they're as bothered by her as you are."

Barry scoffed. "I _wish_."

Oliver watched him closely until Barry looked at him.

"What?"

"Well, don't stop there. What's up with your parents and this girl?"

"They…" Barry sighed. "They adore her. And she pretends to adore them."

"You don't think it's mutual? You don't really know her."

"I know her enough. There's no way what she feels for my parents is genuine or straightforward. I hate that they're being misled by this…good girl act she's got going."

"Ah, so that's what this is about. You're protective of your parents."

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, that's understandable…but I just have to wonder…"

"What?" he deadpanned.

He walked over to him.

"I mean, what's the worst she can do in a week? She's not sticking around. If the worst thing is her being nice to your parents…I don't see why you're so upset."

"I'm not upset!" He raised his voice, causing a few heads to turn. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "I'm not upset."

"I can see that."

He sighed and looked back at the clock.

11:30 a.m., on the dot.

He tossed the dirtied rag back onto the side of the car he'd been working on.

"I'll be back."

"What, you're actually going out for lunch? You always stay in the shop."

"Not today. I need a breather."

"From what?"

"You."

"What did I do?" he gawked, but Barry had started walking away and he kept on walking. "Barry!"

Barry hung up his work shirt on a hook in the back and grabbed a soda from the vending machine. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he felt around and found himself a $20 and headed across the street to Cisco's after waving to Felicity at the front desk.

"Hey, Cisco! Cisco, you in here?" He peeked inside the shop.

"Barry?" Cisco came out from in back. "Barry, hey, what's up?"

"You want to go for lunch? I have some snooping I'd like to be doing, and it's my lunch break."

"Anything that involves food, you know I'm in," he said, finishes the sucker on the stick in his mouth and tossing it into the trash by the door.

Barry smirked. "All right, let's go."

Cisco locked up, stuck the sign in the window that dictated the time he would be back, and joined Barry outside the shop.

"So," he began. "This snooping…"

"Yeah?" Barry indulged, thinking nothing of the edgy tone to Cisco's voice.

"It wouldn't happen to involve a certain young lady I drove out to your parents' place yesterday, would it?"

Barry slowed and turned to look at him.

"How'd you know?"

"Call it best friend's intuition."

Barry's eyes narrowed. "She gave you a hard time, didn't she? When you drove her up there."

"Welllll…" Cisco's voice squeaked. "I wouldn't say a hard time. There were a lot of speed bumps on the route I took." He winced.

Barry laughed.

"Serves her right anyway."

Cisco frowned.

"Why do you say that?"

Barry was about to answer, a confident grin on his face, when he looked across the street and saw none other than Iris West strolling down the block. But something wasn't right. She was laughing, giggling even, and talking with another woman that looked an awful lot like Linda Park.

"What the hell…"

"What is it?" Cisco asked.

"There…she…is." He scoffed.

Cisco followed his gaze across the street.

"She looks happy," he pointed out.

Barry snorted. "She looks happy with my ex-girlfriend."

"I thought you and Linda are friends now."

"We are. But how much you want to bet Miss Snobby West found out we used to be more than that?"

"Uhh…"

"Come on, let's go pay them a visit."

…

Iris was surprised by how much she'd taken to Linda. And how much Linda had taken to her. Barry had been terrible, and Cisco was just painful to be around. But Henry and Nora Allen were delightful, and Linda Park seemed very much to match her speed. They just jived really well, and Iris even found herself sad about losing touch with her as soon as the Cadillac was fixed.

"No way!" She laughed.

Linda nodded and giggled. "Yep."

"He brought you a single daisy?"

"Hey, it was one of those really big ones. And it was pink! I found it adorable."

"So, him not showing up with a bouquet of roses wasn't a turn-off for you?"

Linda looked amused. "I hate to break it to you, but no one's really rich in this town, Iris. A dozen roses for a first date is asking a lot."

"Still, if he _really_ liked you…"

Linda was amused.

"What a life it must be in Central City being so rich and famous."

Iris felt heat rise in her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. Really. If you weren't rich, I wouldn't have sold such pricey items today. I hardly ever get those clothes purchased, even though plenty of ladies swoon over them when they walk in the store."

Iris tried to laugh it off, but it still affected her. She'd never felt guilty about her lifestyle before, but being around Linda made her want to fit in this little town - even if just for the week.

"Come on," Linda said. "I'll show you the place we had our first date."

"Oh, you really don't have to…"

"Please. It's a café. My favorite, actually. I think that's why Barry picked it."

_Of course he did_. Iris inwardly rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you hungry anyway?"

She was.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Then, come on. It's in the center of the park. We can eat out on the patio with a view of the pond and the gazebo and the fountains. It's-"

"Where you and Barry sat on your first date?"

"You're catching on." She winked.

Iris stopped. "Listen, Linda, I appreciate what you're doing here, and I really like you. But don't you think it's a little weird for you to be going down memory lane of when you were dating Barry…with me?"

"You're the one who wanted to know about him."

"I never said that."

"You asked how he was in bed."

She scoffed, heat rushing into her face again. Linda was really amused now.

"I…I didn't-"

"Is that so?"

The sound of the masculine voice made Iris freeze and slowly turn around.

"Oh, shit," Linda muttered from behind her.

"Hi, Linda." Cisco waved. He looked at Iris to greet her as well, but her eyes were pinned on Barry's, and they were not happy.

"Hi, Cisco," Linda returned.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Iris spat, tension fizzing through every cell in her body.

His eyes narrowed. "I could ask you the same question."

She gawked. "I'm sorry, but were you or were you not there when your parents' suggested I come into town today, so I didn't have to sit around the house all week with nothing to do?"

"How could I forget? The arrangement included taking your snobby ass back to the house to eat dinner after work."

"Speaking of work – shouldn't you be there right now?"

"It's called a lunch break. Or…maybe you haven't heard of those where you come from. You've probably never worked a day in your life."

"At least I have a life! What do you do besides wipe grease off your face and eat at your parents' place every night of the week? Oh, I know, you stalk your ex-girlfriend because you don't like the company she keeps."

"You're right, I don't," he spat. "What are you doing with her?"

"That's none of your business."

"The hell it is."

"I can hang out with whoever I damn well please, Barry too-good-for-this-world Allen, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Barry's hands formed into fists at his sides, and Linda saw her opening.

"Okay, guys, let's break it up." She laughed a little nervously, suddenly understanding just how bad it was between these two. She put her hands between them and created some distance so she could address Barry. "Iris walked into my shop to buy some things, and I offered to show her around town. That's all."

Barry turned to face her, his eyes still narrowed.

"Really? Because I could've sworn you were telling her personal details about our relationship."

Now her eyes narrowed.

"_Past_ relationship. And I only did so because I couldn't believe you were as bad to her as she was painting you to be, but now here I see it in the flesh. What the hell is wrong with you, Allen?"

His jaw dropped. "You can't be serious. You're taking _her_ side?"

Her eyes widened. "I'm taking the sane side. She's only here for a week, and you decide to change your entire demeanor to be an ass to her?"

"She started it!"

She crossed her arms. "What are we in, kindergarten? Better shape up, or _I'll _be the one taking her to the festival in a few days."

"Be my guest," he spat.

"Barry, maybe we should go…" Cisco tried. "I haven't eaten yet, and I'm hungry."

"Oh, but why not follow these two lovely ladies where they're going? To the café where we had our first date. Isn't that right, Linda?"

"Watch it, Allen."

Barry fumed for a few seconds more before seemingly concluding that he didn't want to be at odds with Linda. He wouldn't apologize in front of Iris, though.

"How about we go to that taco truck?" Cisco suggested cheerfully. "It's on the way back, and it's cheap."

Barry's gaze finally flitted back to his friend.

"Fine, yeah, okay." He looked over at Iris who was waiting for him to leave. "Be at the shop at 6 o'clock sharp, or I'm leaving without you."

Iris drew up a false giddy attitude. "Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Barry glared for a moment more then finally turned around at Cisco's tugging and headed back in the direction they'd come. Linda shook her head as she watched the two depart. Then she turned to Iris.

"I am so sorry about that, Iris. I had no idea it was so bad. That's so unlike him. I've never seen him act like that with anyone. _Ever_."

"Maybe you just didn't know the real him till now," Iris said, matter-of-factly, glaring at the back of Barry's head.

Linda didn't know what to say to that. She didn't want to judge Barry based off one interaction, but she didn't know quite what to make of how he'd acted either. It just didn't make sense. Unless…

Iris' stomach grumbled, interrupting her thoughts. Both girls suddenly burst out laughing.

"Come on," Linda said, looping her arm around Iris'. "Let's get some food. I'm hungry too."

Still smiling, Iris nodded in agreement, and they walked the rest of the way to the café in the park.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Back with another! Hoping to have chaps for this one up faster from here on out. Enjoy!

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 8 -**

The timer on Iris' phone went off at 5:50pm that evening. She groaned and looked at Linda, who was folding a glimmering shirt filled with sequins and setting it on a pile of identical ones on the table in the middle of the room.

"It's time?"

"Do I have to go? Can't I stay with you?"

Linda chuckled. "I'd take you in a heartbeat, Iris West. I told you as much earlier today."

Iris sighed and let her head fall into her arms on the counter.

"No, I should go. I don't want to have to make up an excuse to Henry and Nora."

"Oh, Henry and Nora, huh?" Linda asked, amused.

Iris frowned. "Yeah…"

"Not just the Allens anymore," she grinned.

Iris cringed. "I guess not. They're just so friendly and casual and laid back, and I'm pretty sure they've decided I'd make a great mother to their grandchildren."

Linda laughed. "They were like that with me too. Don't worry about it. They'll get over it when you leave."

Iris got up. "Do they still like you, or do they hate that you and Barry broke up?"

"Oh, they still like me well enough. They're not as over the top friendly now that they know I won't be bearing their future grandchildren, but they're still nice people."

"I…see."

"You wonder if their kindness to you is genuine, is that it?"

Iris shrugged. "Barry accused me of being fake with them, of being so nice when I wasn't to him. But I was just nice to them because they were nice to me. Or so I thought."

"Hey, don't misjudge Henry and Nora. They're as genuine and as sweet as they come across, and they'll remember you just as you think they see you now. After you leave, they'll miss you. And if you come back-"

"I'm not coming back."

"If you do, they'll be happy to see you. I promise."

Iris forced a smile. "Okay, thanks."

Linda glanced at the clock. 5:55pm.

"Come on, I'll walk you back."

Iris rolled her eyes but got up and headed for the front of the store.

"Yes, God forbid I be late to his majesty's pick-up truck."

Linda chuckled. "It won't be that bad…" Iris shot her a look. "I hope."

"After what happened this afternoon, you really think-"

Linda sighed. "I don't know. That was so out of character for him. I know you told me the first impression both of you got of each other wasn't great, but for him to flip his switch and hold it against you for so long. Well, I guess it's not that long. It's only been a day and a half." She contemplated that. "Still, though."

Iris stepped outside the shop and waited for Linda to lock up.

"I'm glad to see the outfit you decided to go with by the way."

Iris glanced down.

"Yeah, I really like it."

"Trying to impress somebody?" She smirked.

"If you're suggesting Barry, not in the slightest. Maybe Nora… Though I don't know if she could appreciate this style."

"Oh, she does. Barry picks up something from my shop for her every Mother's Day."

Iris' eyes widened.

"It's true," Linda said. "Even Nora has a bit of bling in her wardrobe."

The girls laughed and continued down the block.

"Oh, _puppies_," Iris cooed as they passed the pet shop.

Linda chuckled. "You want one?"

"Please. I wouldn't know the first step in taking care of a dog. But there's no harm in petting a puppy, is there?"

"I've got one at home. So does Barry, for that matter. I bet he'll bring him to the festival on Wednesday. He likes to show him off in public."

"Does he now…"

"It's a retriever, if you were wondering," Linda said, and the most adorable look crossed Iris' face.

Linda laughed. "You'll have to ask him about him in your ride back to Henry and Nora's tonight."

Iris sighed. "No, thank you. There's just no point in talking to that man unless you want to get into a fight."

Linda looked at her sympathetically. "You're going to sit in silence the whole way?"

"Don't you think he'll do the same thing?"

Linda shook her head.

"After this afternoon, I just don't know. But I hope you two can work things out. You don't want to leave this town with a chip on your shoulder, especially since you already showed up with one, am I right?"

Iris tensed, then realized Linda must've been referring to her anger at Barry the second she arrived.

"Right. Yeah. I don't know. It's only Monday. Can't I hold onto my grudge a little longer? Especially since Barry is doing nothing to make amends either?"

"Nothing? He hasn't apologized or anything?"

"He thinks I'm in the wrong. It hasn't even occurred to him that he might be to blame."

"And you?"

Iris scoffed. "I didn't do anything wrong. If he had just-"

"I know. I know. You told me."

She sighed. "He is cute, though." Linda's eyes widened. "And I absolutely hate him for it."

Linda was about to say something, but they rounded the last block and nearly bumped into Cisco who was closing up his shop for the night.

"Oh! Excuse me, Linda." His eyes shifted away. "Iris."

"You're closing up now?" Iris scoffed, and Linda shot a look at her, which she naturally ignored. "What about if people need a ride in the middle of the night?"

"People don't usually," he said cautiously. "Everything's pretty much in walking distance and everyone helps each other out if someone is stranded. It's the neighborly thing to do."

"So why have a cab business at all? Did you not excel at anything else?"

Cisco's jaw dropped and so did Linda's.

"_Iris_."

Suddenly aware of the line she'd crossed, Iris cleared her throat and took a step back. But she didn't apologize.

"Is Barry still in the auto shop?"

Cisco nodded hesitantly.

"Great." She turned to face Linda. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah…sure."

"Great." She took a deep breath and headed across the street. "Here goes nothing."

…

Barry took a different route to his parents' house than Cisco had taken the night before. There were still a few bumps, but overall it wasn't bad. He didn't turn on some Godawful country music either, and the windows were down instead of the AC being on, which Iris preferred. She liked her hair blowing in the wind. Her bag tucked between her leg and the console; the ride was almost stress free.

Until Barry Allen decided to open his mouth.

"So…" His fingers clenched on the steering wheel, making Iris stiffen beside him. "How was the rest of your day?"

_Better since you weren't in it_, she wanted to say, but she held her tongue and offered a shrug instead.

"Fine."

"Did you spend it with Linda?"

"I did."

"Have fun reliving our go-to spots when we were dating?" he asked, sounding very high and mighty.

She pursed her lips tightly.

"Not as much fun as you had yelling at me about it this afternoon."

He glanced over at her and scoffed.

"I did not _yell_."

"You were disrespectful and rude, and you know it."

He scoffed, about to speak again but she cut him off.

"Even Linda was upset. She said it wasn't like you at all. But maybe it's exactly like you, and you've just been pretending with every person in this town that you've met."

His jaw clenched.

"You seem to know a lot about me."

She rolled her eyes and set her arm on the windowsill.

"I just know what I see, and you're as two-faced as you claim I am."

"I am nothing like you. Don't even start comparing the two of us, because-"

"Why do I bother you so much?" she spat. "I'm doing literally nothing, and I'm only upset because you think I have some devious plan to deceive your parents or that I won't apologize for something _you_ got me upset over."

His jaw dropped.

"This can't be just about what happened yesterday afternoon."

"It is."

"You weren't listening to me worth a damn."

"And you thought I didn't know anything just because I was a girl driving a fancy car in fancy shoes in the middle of nowhere."

He shot her a look.

"Well, you were wrong."

"You _did_ know what was wrong with your car?" he asked dubiously.

"Of course not, but you didn't have to get all judgy just because-"

"I was _not_ judgy." He held up his hand. "Okay, you know what? Forget it. We're obviously not going to get along ever. So let's just be civil with my parents and try to deal with each other the best we can at the festival."

"You don't have to worry about the festival anymore."

"Oh, yeah? Why not? You're going to change into an entirely different person?"

For some reason, Iris felt tears starting to surface.

"No," she ground out.

"Then what?" he demanded.

"I'm going with Linda. You won't have to see me at all."

"I come over for dinner every night. Therefore, I have to see you every day."

"Will you just _stop_? You know, just because you hate me doesn't mean I like hearing about it."

"How could I hate you? I don't even know you!"

"I don't know you either, but somehow we manage it!"

He let out a harsh exhale and ran his hand over his face.

"Why don't we just stay quiet the rest of the drive."

She laughed humorlessly. "Sounds like an excellent idea to me."

So, the drive continued for another 20 minutes in silence. Iris looked out her window and Barry looked straight ahead through the windshield. In another 10 minutes, they'd be at the bed and breakfast and rid of each other. Barry had relaxed somewhat during the silence, but Iris had only gotten more tense.

"Pull over," she said suddenly.

"What?" He looked over at her.

"Pull over. I'm walking from here."

He snickered. "In those shoes? And that outfit? You'll fall over in seconds and be eaten alive by mosquitoes."

"Just pull over!" she demanded.

Reluctantly, he did what she asked but made sure to lock the doors. Iris didn't even try to open her door when she heard the click.

"You want to talk again?" he asked sarcastically, but his face suddenly dropped when he saw the tears in her eyes as she turned to look at him.

"No," she said. "I don't want to talk."

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know she was capable of any truly emotion, but here it looked like _he_'d made her cry. Unless this was just another trick to possibly turn his parents against him. Maybe that was just her next move.

"Please unlock the door, Barry."

Her voice was soft, gentle, vulnerable.

He did as she requested.

"Thank you," she muttered and pushed her door open.

"Wait," he said, just as she was about to step out.

She sighed, wiped away one tear and forced herself to face him.

"What?"

Taking a breath, he met her eyes steadily.

"I'm sorry."

She blinked, not having expected that. She frowned, and then as quickly as the tears had come they dried up. Her lips parted, and he thought maybe she'd apologize too. Maybe they could put this all behind them. It was exhausting to say the least, and it was so unlike him to hold a first impression against anyone.

But he never could have expected what happened next.

Iris lunged forward, gripped the sides of his face, and kissed him. His instincts went into overdrive, and he kissed her back, deepening the kiss almost immediately, sifting his fingers through her hair and pulling her closer.

Then suddenly she pulled back, breathing heavily just as he was.

"What…What was that?" Barry asked.

She swallowed.

"I just…wanted to know what it was like to…to kiss you."

His eyes widened. "And?"

"I…"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

He crossed the threshold and brought her back to him, kissing passionately and wildly, and Iris moaned, overwhelmed by the sensation of his lips on hers and his fingers in her hair. And God, she had never felt so alive.

That was until their shifting around brought Barry's elbow hard on the steering wheel and the horn went off loudly.

They broke apart, and reality came crashing down.

They looked at the wheel that had gotten the pressure lifted off of it immediately, and then each other, and took in how hard they were breathing.

"Iris…"

She turned away to see that where they'd pulled over was just in sight of his parents' place.

"I should go. We should go."

She stumbled out of the car with her bag and strutted towards the house.

"Iris, wait!"

He opened his door and ran after her.

"Iris!"

"What? We have to meet your parents for dinner, and – actually, you know, I'm not feeling well anymore. I think I'll skip out."

"What? Why? Because we kissed?" He looked exasperated when she spared him a glance, running his hand through his hair and looking unbearably cute.

She stopped, and he stopped with her, looking at her as if she was the reason science made sense, and she couldn't understand how one kiss had completely changed his outlook on her.

She licked her lips.

"Drive your truck up, Barry. You don't want it to be parked so far back when you leave."

He looked at her confused, then looked back at his truck, and when he went to look at her again, she was already going up the steps to his parents' house and looked to be apologizing for her imminent absence from the dinner table. His mother looked concerned and to be assuring her that it was fine.

Grudgingly, Barry went back to his truck, drove it up to the house and put it in park.

"Hello, darling," Nora said when she greeted him at the door.

"Mom," he returned, leaning down so she could kiss his cheek. "Do you know what's wrong with-"

"Iris? She said she had an upset stomach and was going to bed early. Do you know why?"

He sighed and looked inside the house to where Iris was disappearing up the stairs.

"I have no idea."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** This might be my favorite chapter of the entire story. It's at the very least the most fun imo. I hope you enjoy! Lots of sexual tension here.

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

* * *

**Chapter 9 -**

Dinner at the Allen house had never been so awkward. Barry couldn't stop glancing towards the stairs. Nora kept gauging her son's movements, hoping he'd explain himself eventually, and maybe even diagnose Iris' sudden sickness. Henry just focused on eating, even though he was well aware of the tension at the table and some sort of shift between Barry and Iris, even though he hadn't seen them together and was in fact late to the dinner table.

"Are you enjoying your dinner, honey?" Nora asked her son, patting her husband's hand when he moved to open his mouth and compliment her cooking for the third time.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's great, Mom. You're a good cook." He forced a smile and looked back up the stairs, his spoonful of mashed potatoes nearly missing his mouth in the process.

She cleared her throat and dabbed her lips with her napkin after finishing her last bite. She was about to suggest what was probably all in their minds, but her son spoke up first.

"I think I'm going to go check on Iris. Make sure that she's all right."

Nora's eyes widened slightly. She'd expected him to ask if that was a good idea, not be so firm about it.

"Uh… Yeah, I'm sure she'd appreciate tha-" she tried, but Barry was gone before she could finish her sentence.

"Thanks for dinner, Mom. It was delicious," he called back and then took the stairs two at a time until he reached the landing at the top.

Henry pursed his lips after finally finishing his plate.

"Do you think…maybe…something happened between the two of them today?"

Nora glanced at him and then rolled her eyes, beginning to clear the table and then heading for the kitchen sink.

"Don't be ridiculous, Henry." She lowered her voice and smiled to herself. "Something _definitely_ happened."

After reaching the top of the steps, Barry headed down the hall and stopped at the first bedroom on the left. His old bedroom. Iris' current bedroom. And the place Iris was currently residing so that she didn't have to face his parents after kissing him.

Because that had to be the reason she was hiding out, right? She couldn't actually be sick. She'd kissed him back after he kissed her, after she kissed him!

Suddenly, it no longer mattered what he thought of her as a person. It almost felt like this had caused a clean slate, and he could look at her differently now. In fact, he was looking at her differently. He was looking at her as someone he was incredibly attracted to who had just proved she was attracted to him also. And she was less than a foot away from him, or at least the door she was behind was.

His libido had shot into high gear. Knowing she felt the same…

_Calm down, cowboy. Your parents are right downstairs._

He brushed that thought aside. He'd deal with the possibility of them knowing his intentions later.

Slowly, he took the remaining steps to the door and realized as he raised his hand to knock that his fingers were trembling. That shook him to the core. He'd never been this sexually attracted to someone in all his life.

"Calm down, Allen," he muttered to himself. "You're not a teenager, for God's sake."

He knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" Iris answered immediately in her normal voice, then must've realized her error, because she forced a cough and repeated in a sickly sounding tone. "Who is it?"

He smirked, amused.

"It's Barry."

She gasped, then hurried towards the door to lock it. The click amused him further.

"Did you just lock yourself in?"

"Yes, I did."

"Who are you more afraid of, me or yourself?"

Silence.

"If your parents sent you up to check on me, you can tell them-"

"I came up here all by myself."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Open the door, and you'll find out."

"_Barry_," she cautioned.

"Iris," he teased, a chuckle to his voice.

She groaned and leaned her head against the door. She could feel herself melting in her panties.

"Let me in," he requested. "Please."

"Cocky bastard," she muttered under her breath. But she sighed and took a step back to slowly open the door. "Okay, now you see me. What do you have to say?"

Barry was riveted. Her hair was swept up in a high bun and she was snuggled into a white robe probably left in the closet by his mother. Her dress was laying on the bed behind her and her shoes were on the floor by the nightstand. Her eyes were stunning.

"Barry?"

He shook himself out of the reverie he'd found himself and smiled.

"Can I come in?"

She sighed. "I suppose you won't leave until I let you."

"Nope," he popped the 'p'.

She took another step back, opened the door wider and let him in, closing the door behind him.

"So, what now? You have my attention. I don't know how long you'll have it, but-"

He pinned her to the bare wall behind her.

"About that kiss…"

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. She could feel her heartbeat racing in her ears as he continued to lower his eyes to her lips and then back to her eyes with more lust than she thought she'd ever seen in a man's eyes. At least towards her.

"Y-You're not getting another one!"

She pressed her hands to his chest, which proved to be a big mistake, as the feel of his skin beneath nothing but a white t-shirt turned out to be a major turn-on for her.

"Oh, I'm not, am I?" he smirked.

"Uh-uh." She switched her hands to his arms to try to push them down from either side of her head, but she accidentally brushed his biceps and started to melt again. _Could this man pick her up on the way to the-_

_Stop it, Iris._

She kept her hands steady on the tops of his arms. That seemed safe.

"That was a one-time thing. After hearing about your relationship with Linda all day-"

"_Past_ relationship."

"Past. Right. Anyway, I was just curious what it would be like to kiss you."

"You wanted to know how I taste," he started to lean in, and she started to crumble but she kept her grip on him so he was just out of reach of her lips.

"And I found out. And it's over now."

"It doesn't have to be."

"_Barry_," she whined.

He chuckled darkly, and easily moved her hands to around his neck, where her fingers curled into the collar of his shirt. Then he closed the distance between them and inhaled her quickening breaths as he kissed her without warning.

"Mm!" She sounded surprised and even resistant, but then his tongue started tangling with hers, and she lost all resistance, pulling him closer and wrapping one leg around his calf. Her robe started to part and his hand moved down her body till it cupped her melting heat just beneath the robe, and she broke apart to lean her head back and moan.

"Shh," he teased, running his finger over her lips. "My parents will hear you."

"Your parents…" Her eyes flashed open. "Oh, my God! Your parents!"

Taking him off guard, she ducked under his arm and went to stand on the other side of the room.

"I don't like you," she said adamantly.

He chuckled and started advancing on her again.

"And you don't like me," she reminded him.

"I like this part of you." He smirked.

"What? So, I'm just some sort of sex object to you?" she asked, getting genuinely offended.

"And exactly what am I to you at this very moment?"

Her lips parted, and then she paused. Okay, he had a point.

"What are you suggesting? That we just have sex all week and barely tolerate each other in front of others? I think they're getting sick of us fighting."

"Then don't fight with me."

"What are you suggesting, we get along?"

"I know it sounds crazy…" He started advancing on her again, slowly this time. "But if the idea of kissing me enticed you instead of making you want to vomit, there's some part of you that doesn't hate me as much as you thought."

She frowned. "No."

"No?"

"It was mere curiosity. That's it. Now that I've been satiated-"

"But have you been? I heard you and Linda talking. You want to know if I'm any good in bed."

"Barry."

"We could find out."

"Barry!" she squealed.

He stopped. "Or I could leave."

"Leave. _Please_."

"For one more kiss?" he asked.

"What? No!"

"Pretty, pretty please?" He pouted.

She shook her head in disbelief.

"That isn't a no."

"B-"

And he kissed her again, wrapping his hand around her neck and pulling her close. She moaned quietly and daintily touched his shoulder with one hand.

"Touch me," he whispered into her mouth.

"Oh, my God." Her eyes rolled back, but she moved her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him closer. This time she made no attempt to get away but kissed him passionately instead.

It was until his hand was on her bathrobe that she managed to snap out of the daze he'd put her under.

"No, no." She breathed heavily. "Enough," she rasped.

Reluctantly, he released her, even though her body seemed to not want to release him at first.

"All right," he said. "For tonight."

He gave her his bedroom eyes and headed out of the room, shooting her one more look in the dark hallway before leaving completely.

Iris heard him talking to his parents then, saying something about how she was feeling all right but would just need the rest of the night to feel more like herself again.

"How decent of him," she muttered to herself, turning back against the door and bringing a finger to her lips to touch where his had been. "Damn it all to hell," she muttered. "I want him."

…

Iris waited until Henry and Nora had closed the door behind them to sit on the porch swing. She wanted some breathing room and to not have to give an explanation before heading to the bathroom for a shower. There was just something about having the house all to herself that made her feel self about ignoring her feelings – or indulging in them.

Tiptoeing with a handful of pjs and toiletries, she made her way to the bathroom, then closed the door behind her and locked it for good measure. Setting her items down, she untied her bathrobe and let it pool on the floor, then turned to look at herself in the mirror.

It was only a face mirror, so she couldn't even see below her collarbone, but she saw enough.

She saw sweat dotting her brow. She saw that her lips were still somewhat swollen from Barry's kisses. She felt blush in her cheeks and a stickiness on her skin. And every time she closed her eyes, all her make outs with Barry were re-played beneath her eye lids. So much so that she thought she might go mad.

Finally, she opened her eyes, washed her face with cold water, and turned on the shower.

Once under the hot water, she let herself forget about everything that had happened and just focus on how good it felt to have a hot shower after a long, complicated day.

But that didn't last, because the longer she stayed in there, the more she imagined Barry's hands where the water was. On her breasts, between her legs, hitting the small of her back.

She pressed her hand to the wall of the shower and moaned quietly before dragging her own fingers down her slick body until her hand covered her drenched pussy, and she slipped two fingers inside.

When she found her clit, she rubbed hard in circles, imagining Barry's tongue there. She quickened the pace and imagined him flicking his tongue and sucking. She rolled her eyes back, the pleasure almost unbearable.

Breathing heavily her hand against the wall turned into a claw, and soon it was clutching her breast, twisting her nipples into rock-hard peaks. She licked her lips as the water cascades over her face and massaged her breasts further.

"Barry," she moaned breathlessly. "Oh, God, _Barry_."

She pressed her back to the wall of the shower, not even aware that for a single moment she had to adjust to the cold tile. She was on fire, her whole body throbbing with want and need.

Finally, she arched, curling her toes and gripping her tangled hair. She let out a pleasurable gasp and nearly folded over where she stood in the shower. She tried to touch her clit again, tried to get that pleasure back, but she was too sensitive. So, she retrieved the soap, shampoo and conditioner provided and proceeded to wash herself down.

By the time she'd finished her shower and turned off the water, she felt like a new person. She dried herself off, got into her pjs, and quickly brushed her hair. The mirror was fogged up, but there was a small section where she could see her eyes. They seemed to be judging her, or at the very least saying 'I told you so.'

Iris cleared her throat and looked away.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, and then walked into the hallway.


End file.
